What to do with Saiga 12 gift?

[UGlide 2]

This is my first post.

 

A local radio station had a charity auction today (Saturday 8/14/10). To my surprise, and without me knowing, my wife bought me a new Saiga-12 shotgun with 24" barrel for $500. i will pick it up on Monday at a local gun shop.

 

1. Did she make a mistake on the gun or on price or on anything else?

2. Is the 24" barrel length too long to be practical/useful?

3. If so, is it legal to have a gunsmith cut down the barrel to just over 18"?

4. Here is the fun part: what should I do to the gun to accessorize and/or improve performance?

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES.

[Paulyski 2,227]

This is my first post.

 

A local radio station had a charity auction today (Saturday 8/14/10). To my surprise, and without me knowing, my wife bought me a new Saiga-12 shotgun with 24" barrel for $500. i will pick it up on Monday at a local gun shop.

 

1. Did she make a mistake on the gun or on price or on anything else?

2. Is the 24" barrel length too long to be practical/useful?

3. If so, is it legal to have a gunsmith cut down the barrel to just over 18"?

4. Here is the fun part: what should I do to the gun to accessorize and/or improve performance?

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES.

If you want it for hunting, 24" is great.

 

If you're looking for the AK combat shotty that we all love here, you'll wanna cut her down & yes, it's legal.

But if you do this, you'll need to add a port to the two you should already have & make sure they're all at least .093 in size. A 3/32 mill or drill bit will get you there.

If you go less than 18 & make up the difference by permanently installing a break, you'll need to increase the port sizes 1 at a time till it's dependable.

 

ETA; If the barrel ever dropps below less than 18" from the face of the CLOSED bolt while installed on the gun, a class 3 LICENCED gunsmith must do it unless you have an SBS stamp.

 

As for the customization, look at the picture thread sticky up above this thread. There's so many configurations, a person could fill a forum with all the different combos you COULD run.

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showtopic=13312

 

If you have any questions, search the forum & don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

Welcome to the forum!

Edited August 14, 2010 by Paulyski

[USMC_LB 4]

This is my first post.

 

A local radio station had a charity auction today (Saturday 8/14/10). To my surprise, and without me knowing, my wife bought me a new Saiga-12 shotgun with 24" barrel for $500. i will pick it up on Monday at a local gun shop.

 

1. Did she make a mistake on the gun or on price or on anything else?

 

If your wife is ever buying you a gun, it is NEVER a mistake, its a good thing!

 

2. Is the 24" barrel length too long to be practical/useful?

 

The most popular barrel length is the 19". Practical/usefulness depends entirely on what YOU are planning on doing with it.

The 24" is perfect if you plan on using primarily as a bird gun. If you plan on using for home protection, a shorter barrel

would be more convenient but not a must.

 

 

3. If so, is it legal to have a gunsmith cut down the barrel to just over 18"?

 

It is legal to do in my state of TN. Your gunsmith should know local laws.

 

4. Here is the fun part: what should I do to the gun to accessorize and/or improve performance?

 

Man, you need to spend a week browsing this website. After a couple days you will "think" you

have it figured this out and then after spending another couple days seeing others Saigas/gear you will

change your mind again. It is completely "personal" preference, functionality, taste and style.

There are SO many options to pick from there is no "perfect". Just dont jump in too quick and

take your time deciding what you want your shotgun to do for you.

setup.

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES.

[UGlide 2]

Good advice so far. I was not in the market for a Saiga, but my wife is very loving and thoughtful. I should be and am grateful.

 

Regarding whether she made a mistake, I should have asked that question differently. Since I know almost nothing about Saiga shotguns, and didn't even know that they had a 24" version, I did not know if the 'experts' here would have negative comments about it. I guess not.

 

I already have a shotgun for turkey and other game bird bird hunting. The Saiga 12 will probably be just for fun. As a self-defense gun, it is probably too long. I plan to shoot it and lurk here to learn about the best mods.

 

THANKS.

 

 

 

[G O B 3,516]

Treasure that woman!

[frowhite 7]

does your wife have any single sisters

[07HEMI4ME 0]

This is my first post.

 

A local radio station had a charity auction today (Saturday 8/14/10). To my surprise, and without me knowing, my wife bought me a new Saiga-12 shotgun with 24" barrel for $500. i will pick it up on Monday at a local gun shop.

 

1. Did she make a mistake on the gun or on price or on anything else?

2. Is the 24" barrel length too long to be practical/useful?

3. If so, is it legal to have a gunsmith cut down the barrel to just over 18"?

4. Here is the fun part: what should I do to the gun to accessorize and/or improve performance?

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES.

 

When picking it up maybe they have one with the 19" barrel you can take home instead of the 24"

 

Nice wife

[Nailbomb 10,221]

It would make a hell of a bird gun.

 

I would do that.

[Bridis 319]

$500.00 is a litte high for an S-12, but not much. As everyone is saying the 19" is a more popular model. I would definitely ask the gun shop if they had a 19" instead of the 24".

 

My suggestion to you would be to make sure the gun fires properly before you make any changes. However, if you do make any changes make sure that you are 922r compliant.

 

GL and welcome to the forums.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Bridis

[msrdiver 42]

I have a 19" bbl and sometimes wish I could afford a longer barrel model too. Keep the 24" as it is and replace the original stock with a folder stock. That could be short enough for Home Defense.

 

After replacing the stock, drill with the 24" gun, UNLOADED, indoors to get a feel for use as a HD weapon.

 

You may end up spending more $$$ on a gunsmith fees than buying the 19" gun.

 

The price isn't bad compared to costs here in Saint Louis, MO.